


Reservation

by talesofsymphoniac



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Established Relationship, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Sormikweek2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 08:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7708015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talesofsymphoniac/pseuds/talesofsymphoniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sorey is a good boyfriend. He can be effortlessly romantic, something Mikleo struggles with. When Edna teases him for being a "romantic failure," though, Mikleo is determined to prove her wrong. So he takes Sorey on a date.</p><p>Written for Day Two of Sormik Week 2016: Growth/Stubbornness</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reservation

Mikleo looked up in time to see Sorey bounding towards him, Rose trailing behind. A few hours ago, the party had split up with the goal of determining if there was anything more worth exploring in the Meadow of Triumph. Since the area was known to be treacherous, each of them had gone off with a partner. Rose had yanked Sorey away, claiming they needed to have an important discussion “as a Shepherd and his Squire.” Zaveid shot Lailah a mischievous grin, and while Lailah shook her head in disapproval, she joined him with no protest. To Mikleo’s displeasure, this meant he and Edna were the only two remaining. His ribs were already bruising from how many times she’d speared him with that damned umbrella.

“Hey, Mikleo, look at this!” Sorey called, holding something up as he slowed his pace to a jog. Mikleo squinted, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Probably some trinket he’d found near one of the towers. Sorey was adamant about not defacing historical treasures, but every once in awhile he’d find something and insist on holding onto it “for further study.” Rather like the Shepherd’s glove they’d found what felt like so long ago.

Mikleo waited until Sorey reached them, panting and sweating but still beaming. “What is it?” he asked. Sorey, eyes shining with excitement, had hidden the mystery object behind his back.

“It’s for you!” Sorey said, cheerfully revealing his find. Though actually, upon inspection, Mikleo realized it was not a “find” so much as a “make.” Using the native flowers growing in the Meadow of Triumph region, Sorey had shaped a sort of crown. It was actually impressive, Mikleo thought, how he had been able to get all the flowers to hold together so securely. “Rose taught me how to make it. What do you think?”

He shifted his structural examination to an aesthetic one. The crown was nice, green grasses and leaves making up the shape, with the delicate yellow and white flowers that grew in the area adding brighter colors to the creation. “It’s pretty,” Mikleo admitted. “Did you say Rose taught you how to make this?”

“I sure did!” Rose had finally made her way up the hill they’d agreed to meet on. In the opposite direction, Mikleo noted Lailah and Zaveid just beginning their ascent.

“Really? Doesn’t seem like something _you’d_ enjoy, Rose,” Edna commented.

Rose frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Me and my friends made these all the time when we were kids. It was kinda fun. Although,” she added, rubbing the back of her neck, “It _has_ been a while since I’ve made one.”

“Well? Are you going to put it on?” Sorey asked, holding the crown out to Mikleo.

“M-me?” Mikleo stumbled, feeling his face flush. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Edna twirling her parasol, and though he couldn’t see her face he knew there was a smirk on it. But before he could refuse, he saw Sorey’s bright green puppy eyes, shining with anticipation, and knew he was doomed. “O-okay.”

Beaming, Sorey stepped forward to place the crown on his head, taking care to place it perfectly in Mikleo’s hair. “Your hair’s so fluffy,” he laughed, adjusting his bangs so the weight of the crown didn’t push them down enough to obscure Mikleo’s vision.

“You’ve said so before,” Mikleo pretended to grouse, doing his best to ignore Edna’s snickers.

“I know, I know. I just… really like your hair,” Sorey said, backing away. He flushed. “I mean, I like all of you. Appearance and otherwise.” As he babbled, his blush became more pronounced, and he turned away, trying and failing to hide a shy smile.

Mikleo didn’t quite know how to respond to that. His face was uncomfortably hot in a way that was most definitely not related to the noon heat. “Thanks,” he managed.

Sorey’s beam became wider, if possible, and he practically leapt into the air as he turned and ran back to where Rose had perched on a shadowy outcropping of rock to wait for the last of their companions. Mikleo watched as Sorey spoke animatedly to Rose, who grinned and raised her hand for a high-five.

Mikleo snickered, amused by their antics. He’d had his own private fears about inviting Rose to join them, but in the end, she was really a great person for Sorey to have around.

Edna’s snide voice cut through his thoughts. “You two are nauseating.”

Glaring, Mikleo turned to see her casually twirling her umbrella, idly following the frustratingly slow progress of Lailah and Zaveid as they continued climbing the hill. “And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Sappy. Lovey-dovey. Mawkish. I’m not a thesaurus, you know.”

Mikleo sighed. Edna was absolutely impossible to deal with, and yet for some reason he was the only one she tortured like this. Everything he said only seemed to encourage her, until he boiled over and she, always maintaining her indifferent yet smugly superior persona, could claim victory.

Even knowing the inevitable outcome, Mikleo couldn’t help replying, in a tone of disbelief: “All the perverted things Zaveid says, and yet we’re the ones that make you want to vomit?”

Edna acknowledged his complaint with another spin of her parasol. “Zaveid is annoying. You two are mushy and saccharine. And yes, it makes me want to barf. Puke. Upchuck.”

“Are you sure you’re not a thesaurus?” Mikleo scoffed, then paused suddenly. “I am not _mushy_.”

Edna appeared to give this some thought. Finally she nodded. “I guess that’s true. You can barely say anything kind to him at all without falling all over yourself.” She tilted her head, innocently. “I stand corrected.”

Peeved, Mikleo crossed his arms. “So now you’re saying I’m not kind.”

“I’m just saying,” Edna said, the small smile she wore when she knew she was getting Mikleo worked up beginning to creep to her lips. “ _You’ve_ never given him flowers. Or complimented his appearance. And you didn’t write that stupid note in your pocket that you think I don’t know about--”

“Hey!” Mikleo cut her off, furiously bringing a hand to his chest to ensure that the letter was still there. “You can’t just go through other people’s belongings--”

“Yep,” she continued breezily, as if he hadn’t spoken at all. “I guess it’s fortunate for me that Mikleo is a romantic failure. Every cloud has a silver lining, or so they say.”

Still distracted with the knowledge that his private correspondence had been seen, and by Edna of all people, Mikleo failed to form a proper response. Instead, his mouth opened and shut wordlessly, a sight that made Edna’s smirk all the more evident. “By the way, Meebo,” she said, making her way over to the rest of the group, “Those flowers look good on you.”

“Ugh,” Mikleo groaned, burying his head in his hands. Once again, he’d lost this match of their repartee. He was so used to beating Sorey when it came to words; maybe, he reflected, that was why he could never resist trying to win against Edna.

 _She’s wrong, anyway_ , he thought angrily, catching up to the others as well. _I’m not a romantic failure. Sorey and I just have our own relationship. Not that it’s any of her business. And even if I WAS, it’s all Edna’s fault anyway. How am I supposed to do anything with her hovering over my shoulder like that!?_

Berating Edna in his head successfully kept him occupied until they returned to the inn, even distracting him from embarrassment when Lailah earnestly complimented his new accessory. When he returned to the room he and Sorey shared, he sat at the desk and absentmindedly pulled out the very note Edna had teased him for.

Mikleo called it a note in his head, but a more accurate term would have been “love letter.” Sorey had given it to him, apparently at random, with much the same expression as when he’d handed Mikleo the flower crown today. It wasn’t exactly the epitome of romantic literature; it was disjointed and his poetry had not improved since his disastrous attempts in Pendrago. Still, every word claiming devotion and love was clearly sincere, and, more importantly, every word felt like Sorey. While he would never admit it to anyone else, it was one of his most valued possessions, only rivaled by his treasured circlet. Determined to keep it secure, Mikleo had kept it safe in his inside pocket, but evidently that had not stopped Edna. _Damn her._

Thinking of her reading his letter, he got angry all over again. _I’ll prove her wrong,_ he thought, reaching for his notebook and turning to a fresh page. _I can so be romantic._

* * *

An hour later, Sorey entered the room. “You alright? You usually stay out a bit longer before turning in.”

Head buried in his hands, Mikleo replied. “Fine. Just writing.”

Intrigued, Sorey took a step towards him. “What are you writing about?”

Mikleo glanced down, seeing again the crossed-out scribbles. An hour of attempting to do this and he had nothing to show for it. Everything that sounded good in his head looked stupid when written down, and what didn’t look terrible written down just didn’t feel right at all. Why had this seemed so much easier than it actually was? Or maybe it really _was_ easy, and he really was just bad as Edna claimed. Or maybe Sorey was just that good and Mikleo had never known. He was always going out of his way to do things for Mikleo, and somehow it never felt awkward or out of place. He realized that Sorey was leaning right over his shoulder, trying to see the page. “Ah! Sorey! It’s nothing, just some, ah, notes,” he improvised, hastily covering the notebook with his arm.

“About the ruins? Can I take a look?” Sorey asked the question hesitantly, aware that, for whatever reason, Mikleo was on edge.

“No!” Mikleo said, still slightly panicked. “It’s, uh…” He glanced down again at his fruitless scribbles, then sighed. “I just realized they’re all wrong anyway.” Hastily, he ripped the wasted pages out of the book, crumpled them, and shoved them in his pocket, already planning to dispose of them as soon as possible in the fireplace downstairs.

“Are you alright?” Sorey placed a hand on his shoulder, radiating concern. “Need to lie down?”

“I’m _fine!_ ” Mikleo didn’t mean to shout; he’d actually been trying to calm himself down. Edna had really gotten into his head this time, hadn’t she? He turned to Sorey, who had pulled away, shocked at his sudden shift in emotion. “S-sorry. I just… it’s been a weird day.”

Sorey nodded, more worried than ever. “It’s okay. Do you, um, need anything?”

Mikleo sighed again. “I’m fine. I think I’m going to bed.”

“Sounds good,” Sorey said cautiously.

Together, they changed into their nightclothes. They’d gotten into the routine of getting two rooms at the inns, so as not to have to explain to humans why they needed more rooms than they appeared to have people. Zaveid rarely used the boys’ room, preferring to roam around at night, usually with Edna or Lailah in tow, which meant Sorey, and Mikleo, if he decided to join him, ended up with the double bed to themselves.

Mikleo crawled into bed first. Sorey hesitated, and Mikleo realized he was trying to figure out if Mikleo’s strange behavior meant that he wanted space tonight. With a small smile, he reached up for Sorey: a clear invitation that Sorey should join him. He felt his heart beat a little faster as Sorey took the offered hand in his own, settling in his place next to Mikleo and wrapping his arms around him.

Mikleo held their clasped hands against his chest. He closed his eyes, feeling a much-needed sense of grounding. Sorey’s warm arms wrapped around his waist, the feeling of his chest against his back, and the way he nuzzled his nose against Mikleo’s neck washed away the doubt that Edna’s words had seeded in him and left him feeling secure and calm.

“I love you,” Sorey mumbled, already drifting off.

“Love you, too,” Mikleo breathed. _And I’ll definitely find a way to show it._ Fully relaxed, Mikleo felt himself falling asleep too, thoughts clearing his head until the only thing he was aware of was the steady rhythm of Sorey’s breathing.

* * *

“But… why would you ask me?”

Alisha sat at the patio table outside her home in Ladylake, watching Mikleo’s anxious pacing with wide green eyes. Mikleo stopped to face her, crossing his arms defensively.

“Who else could I ask?”

Alisha let that sink in. _Given the other members of the group…_ She thought of Rose or Zaveid trying to give this kind of advice. “I see your point,” she finally said. “But… I don’t know… There’s not a step-by-step guide I can give you. Romance isn’t like that. You just… do what makes the person happy.”

Mikleo sighed, going back to his pacing. “I just…”

Alisha felt pity for him. It was clear that he felt out of his depth; she could understand that. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, Mikleo.” She meant it. A seraph, no, more than that, her friend had asked for her help and there was nothing she could do.

The two were silent for a moment, Mikleo still pacing, Alisha pursing her lips, thinking. She turned her head up sharply and looked back at him before hesitantly getting his attention. “Hey, Mikleo. I might have a small idea, if you’re up for it?”

Mikleo halted his movement again, eager to hear her continue.

Alisha gulped, unnerved by the intensity of his expression. “You could take him on a date?”

* * *

Mikleo tapped his foot anxiously. Rose was taking longer than he’d thought. Surely it wasn’t that hard, especially for someone as charismatic as Rose could be when she put her mind to it.

“Whoaho! What brings you here of all places, Micky?”

Mikleo cringed, preparing for the worst. Sure enough, Zaveid had found him. He suddenly felt completely vulnerable, and he couldn’t keep the pitch of his voice from raising as he rushed to give an obvious lie: “N-nothing!”

Zaveid was unimpressed. “Uh huh…”

At that moment, Rose all but leapt out of the building, deeply pleased with herself. “Alright, Mikleo, you totally owe me, because I got everything all set up for--” She blinked. “Oh, hey Zaveid.”

“Okay, Rose,” Mikleo said quickly, hoping he could still salvage this. “We can go now--”

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Zaveid said loudly, speaking over him. “Rose is in on this too?”

Rose opened her mouth. “ _Rose!_ ” Mikleo warned.

She grinned at him. “Re- _lax_ ,” she said blithely, tossing a hand in a show of casualness. “Confidentiality is my speciality!” She laughed. “Heh, I’m also a poet. And I didn’t even know it!”

Meanwhile, Zaveid was scanning the restaurant, narrowing his eyes. “Wait a minute…” He suddenly laughed, delighted. “Wait just a minute! Did you just have Rose make a reservation?”

Mikleo blanched. “N-no!”

But he was too late. Zaveid put a hand on his chin. “A reservation for the most in-demand restaurant in the city? That can only spell one thing!”

“You’re completely overreacting!” Mikleo cried desperately.

Nothing would deter Zaveid. “Who knew our Mick-boy had it in him? This is about _romance_ , isn’t it?” He winked. “Finally gonna make an honest man out of our Shepherd, are you?”

Mikleo’s face reddened, in frustration or embarrassment even he couldn’t tell. “It’s nothing like that at all!”

Zaveid shook his head in amusement, holding his arms out in a way that suggested he meant no harm. “Hey, calm down, I’m only teasing. You know we’re all on your side, right? And no one’s rooting for you two more than ol’ Zaveid here!” He gestured towards himself with his thumb, practically oozing self-satisfaction.

“I’m telling you it’s not like that!” Mikleo insisted. “It’s just… a date.”

Zaveid nodded, placating. “Got it. Just a date. Though, I’ve gotta ask… what brought this on all of a sudden?” He frowned. “Edna didn’t get to you, did she?”

Mikleo fidgeted, feeling more exposed than ever. “No,” he lied. “I just… well, she was right, in her way. I’m not very good at this stuff.”

“Well, Sorey sure doesn’t seem to mind,” Rose said, voice tinged with amusement, hand on her hip.

Zaveid nodded. “The lady’s got it right.”

“The guy’s head over heels for you, after all,” Rose continued.

“Though a little romance is never a _bad_ idea,” Zaveid added, and Rose nodded her affirmation.

Mikleo shook his head, feeling strangely like he was getting teamed up on. “Well… that’s what I’m trying to do!”

Zaveid slapped him on the back. “Good. So, have you got any plans _besides_ dinner?”

Mikleo turned red. “I-I--”

“Come on, man! A fancy dinner is nice and all, but I know we can do better than that! Take him to a play, or, you know what, there’s probably some museum where you guys can go nerd out or something.”

Mikleo stopped short. _That is… not where I thought he was going with that._ Then he caught up to what Zaveid had _actually_ said. “We?!”

Rose clenched her fists in excitement. “We’re gonna make this the best date _ever_!”

Mikleo crossed his arms. “Oh no. I am doing this myself, thank you very much!”

“Really? You won’t let us help?” Rose hid an amused smile behind her hand. “Pft, lame.”

“Well, just remember, we’ll be right here if you need us,” Zaveid said, thumping him on the back again.

“Yeah, that’s likely,” Mikleo huffed, rubbing his spine. Between Edna’s natural spite and Zaveid’s newfound supportiveness, this journey was really starting to bruise.

* * *

“Sorey?”

Sorey diverted his attention from his book. “What is it, Mikleo?”

He took a deep breath. “Would you like to… It’s just, I have a reservation to this restaurant, and I thought…” He held the reservation out for Sorey.

He grabbed it, his face lighting up in recognition. “Wow, really? Cool! How did you manage to get seats for all of us? I thought that place was practically impossible to get into!”

“Um, well,” Mikleo struggled for a moment. _Just relax already, it’s only Sorey._ “I didn’t. It’s just for, you know, us two.” Sorey looked up, tilting his head in mild confusion. “I mean, like, a… date?”

At this, Sorey perked up yet again. “You’re taking me on a date?”

Mikleo covered his mouth with his hand, looked quite determinedly at the ceiling to his right, and spoke, his voice sharper than he meant to sound. “Is there a problem?”

“No, not at all!” Sorey said quickly. “I was just surprised, is all.”

“Why? You’re not the only one who can do things like this, you know!”

Just as Mikleo was scolding himself for being too defensive, Sorey bumped his side, successfully distracting him. He caught Mikleo's eyes. “Yeah, I know,” he said simply, a genuine smile on his face. “Sounds fun.”

Mikleo felt himself relax, though he didn’t know when he’d gotten so tense in the first place. “Good. It’s a date,” he said, allowing himself a small smile.

* * *

The sun was just setting when Sorey and Mikleo walked out of the restaurant, hand-in-hand, laughing and talking and smiling. Mikleo had surprised himself, in the end; everything had gone perfectly. Maybe better than perfect; Mikleo couldn’t remember the last time he and Sorey had been properly alone together since he’d become the Shepherd. It was nice to just be the two of them again for a while. Mikleo couldn’t have felt more pleased with himself.

“That was the best food I think I’ve ever eaten!” Sorey gushed. “I can really see why that restaurant is so popular! How did you even get us in when they couldn’t see you?”

“I just asked Rose to take care of that. They certainly didn’t mind serving the Shepherd and his seraph.”

“And that amazing bookstore we went to earlier…” Sorey made lively gestures with his hands as he spoke. “How did you even know it was there? It was completely out of the way!”

Mikleo cast him a smug grin. “You know I’m the champion when it comes to making discoveries.”

“You definitely win this round, no contest,” Sorey agreed. “We should go back sometime. There were lots more books I wanted to take a look at. In the meantime… I guess we’re heading back to the inn now?”

Mikleo hesitated. “We can if you want to. I was thinking, first, we could… take a bit of a walk.”

Sorey nodded, squeezing his hand. “Alright. Lead the way.”

Mikleo guided them through the city streets, and they chatted more about the particular books Sorey was interested in studying more of and how such a unique culinary style had developed in this area as opposed to the other places they’d traveled on their journey. If anyone out on the streets thought Sorey was strange, speaking to the air next to him, one hand held out slightly so as to interlink his finger’s with Mikleo’s, they didn’t show it. Even if they had, Mikleo doubted he would have noticed; he and Sorey were completely absorbed in each other.

It was dusk by the time they made their way up to the highest point of the city, a raised balcony where one could see all the winding streets and buildings that made up the city. Here and there, flower beds had been installed to decorate the stone structure. The few people there were slowly trickling away as the sky darkened.

Sorey and Mikleo leaned against the balcony railing. “Hey, Mikleo…” Sorey began. To Mikleo’s eyes, he seemed to be struggling for the right words. “What… was all this?”

At his words, Mikleo felt himself growing nervous again. He tried to be nonchalant: “A date. Couldn’t you tell?”

Sorey smiled, his gaze drifting over the city below. “Yeah, I know. It was just unlike you, is all.”

Mikleo couldn’t keep himself from tensing. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he said, irritation creeping into his voice. “I thought you were having fun.”

“Hey, wait, that’s not what I meant! I _did_ have a lot of fun, and it was nice, spending time… you know, just the two of us.” So the sentiment was shared, Mikleo noted with pleasure. “I was just wondering what gave you the idea so suddenly.”

Mikleo frowned, unsure how honest he should be. But then, it was Sorey, not Edna; if he couldn’t trust him not to judge, he couldn’t trust anyone. “I thought I should… You’re always doing nice things for me. You’re just… naturally good at this.”

Sorey furrowed his eyebrows. “At what, being nice?”

Mikleo waved a hand in dismissal. “No, you know… all of this.” He took a breath. “Being… romantic.” He nearly groaned at the last word, unable to keep himself from feeling foolish.

Sorey, meanwhile, was surprised at this confession. “You’re just fine at all this, from where I’m standing.”

Mikleo shook his head. “Not like you are.”

Sorey looked bemused at this. “What? Me?” He chuckled awkwardly. “Nah, I just say what’s on my mind without thinking. Like that awful letter.”

Grinning, Mikleo bumped him. “I happen to love that letter.”

Sorey laughed. “Please tell me you don’t still have it.”

“Right here, in fact,” Mikleo said deviously as he pulled the letter in question from his inside pocket and Sorey’s eyes widened in obvious surprise. He unfolded it slowly, eyeing Sorey with anticipation. “Shall I read it?” he challenged.

“Don’t! Don’t!” Sorey laughed. He tried to steal the piece of paper away from him, but Mikleo held it away from him, where he couldn’t reach, and the game of keep-away kept on. Mikleo found himself laughing, too, until Sorey found a chink in his defenses and his laughter turned into an involuntary squeal. At that point, keep-away quickly became a tickle war, only ending when Sorey reached a sensitive area on the inside of Mikleo’s knee that sent him sprawling on the ground. Sorey kneeled next to him, still giggling a bit breathlessly.

“I win again,” he joked, but he made no move to grab the letter. Instead, he watched as Mikleo carefully refolded it and tucked it away safely. He then shook his head sheepishly. “Why did you even keep that? It’s so--”

Mikleo finished for him. “You,” he said fondly.

Mikleo didn’t quite know how to classify the expression that crossed Sorey’s face. He looked at Mikleo like he’d never seen anything quite as amazing. “Come here,” he said, voice gentle. He moved closer.

“Hm?” The soft touch of Sorey’s lips on his was a surprise, but most definitely welcome. Mikleo leaned forward, hands drifting to Sorey’s waist. Encouraged, Sorey’s hand brushed against his jaw, holding them close together. Mikleo felt his eyes slide closed, and he answered Sorey’s gentle movements with light presses of his own, allowing Sorey to lead.

When the kiss ended, they remained close, taking a moment to savor having the other so near. Mikleo was the first to speak, nuzzling his nose against Sorey’s cheek. “See?” he said mildly. “How can you say you’re not the romantic one?”

Sorey’s hands trailed down Mikleo’s arms, and he took Mikleo’s hands again. “Well, you say that like you’re not."

Mikleo frowned. "But I'm not! You do things like... like give me gifts and compliments and poetry and... I never do anything like that." His heart sunk, and he turned away. "I can't even say thank you properly, I just act like--"

"Like _you_ ," Sorey interrupted, his fond tone an echo to Mikleo's previous words. "I do those things because I love you. And you act the way you do because you love me too, right?" Sorey waited until Mikleo nodded, face hot. "Isn't that romantic, then?" He asked, and Mikleo felt his heart swell. He was glad that Sorey couldn't see how much his words touched him, but by the way Sorey's voice softened, he already knew. Mikleo found he didn't mind.  "I thought this whole date was very romantic,” Sorey said, letting his thumbs stroke over the back of Mikleo’s hands. “In fact,” he declared, leaning away so that he could see Mikleo’s face, “It’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Mikleo scoffed, though he couldn't quite hide his pleasure. “It’s the _only_ romantic thing anyone’s done for you.”

Sorey laughed, pulling one of Mikleo’s hands up to brush against his lips. “I guess that makes you the champion of that, too,” was his simple reply.


End file.
